Frontenac Islands Groundwater Study
The Cataraqui Source Protection Area (CSPA) covers a large area in southeastern Ontario that includes the jurisdiction of the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (CRCA) plus the Township of Frontenac Islands. The CRCA and the Township are working together to coordinate local source water protection efforts under the Clean Water Act.
The Township of Frontenac Islands is located near Kingston where Lake Ontario flows into the St. Lawrence River, and it includes Wolfe Island and Howe Island, as well as several smaller islands such as Garden Island and Simcoe Island. Groundwater studies were completed for the Western Cataraqui Region (Trow Associates Inc. 2007) and the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville (Dillon Consulting Limited 2001) however, information regarding the geology and hydrogeology of the Frontenac Islands was not included in either of these reports because the Frontenac Islands are not part of the CRCA jurisdiction.
This study summarizes the local geology and groundwater conditions, assesses the groundwater use, and discusses data gaps that exist throughout the Frontenac Islands. The study has been prepared in accordance with the terms of reference for groundwater studies developed by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (2001). It will be used as a technical reference document for the local source protection plan.
The geology of the Frontenac Islands mainly consists of Paleozoic limestones with thin soil cover. The Paleozoic limestones overlie the granites and migmatites of the Precambrian shield as well as sandstone in some areas. Soil cover is thicker on a significant portion of Howe Islands (up to 40 m) and parts of Wolfe Island (up to 21 m). Five geological cross-sections (three on Wolfe Island and two on Howe Island) were completed for this study.
Hydrogeological data for the Frontenac Islands is generally quite limited. However, it is known that the water table is generally shallow (typically less than 10 m and up to 50 m below ground surface) and that salty and sulphurous water pockets exist throughout the islands.The water table elevations indicate that groundwater generally flows to the south and discharges into Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The aquifer vulnerability is discussed in the Cataraqui Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment Report (Dillon Consulting Ltd., 2008).
Groundwater usage on the Frontenac Islands is generally limited to domestic, private and agricultural uses. The domestic groundwater use on Wolfe Island is 74,000 cubic metres per year, and on Howe Island is 35,000 cubic metres year. The estimated annual agricultural water use on Wolfe Island is 36,000 cubic metres and on Howe Island is 9,500 cubic metres. There have been 14 Permits to Take Water (PTTW) on the Frontenac Islands; however, only one is a groundwater taking on Wolfe Island, and one is a combined groundwater and surface water taking on Howe Island. The water usage is estimated to be approximately one per cent of the annual groundwater recharge.
There is a general lack of high quality hydrogeological data for the Frontenac Islands, which leads to a poor overall understanding of groundwater flow direction and groundwater quality. It is therefore recommended that a provincial groundwater monitoring network (PGMN) well be drilled on each of the Frontenac Islands. In addition, a comprehensive collection of a suite of geochemical samples, similar to that of the Western Cataraqui Study (Trow Associates Inc., 2007) would significantly increase the understanding of the groundwater quality on the Frontenac Islands.
To view a copy of the full version of the study, please contact the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority office. Contact information is provided below.
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